Why Ranch Style Homes Are Amazing
Clean Lines That Blend With The Palm Springs Beauty
The first thing that people notice about a ranch style home is how it looks. Bigger homes and those that don’t have lines inspired by the California area stick out and seem a bit out of place. Ranch style homes have beautiful clean lines that blend with the surrounding area and enhance the landscape rather than seeking to bend it to their will.
Their simple exterior makes it easy to view them as part of the beautiful scenery rather than something that was put there by man.
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Sprawling Spaces
Entering a ranch style home the first thing that most people are struck by is the amount of space that they offer. From the outside they look like they might be smaller than more impressive looking homes. Inside, the high ceilings and simple layouts quickly correct this assumption. A typical ranch will feel bigger than the square footage indicates and give you lots of open space to work within.
Ranch style homes offer lots of space for working out, big projects, parties, and even just space for children to play. The main living areas are rarely divided, leaving it up to the residents to determine how they are used. This makes them modular in a way that many other spaces will never be.
Lots of Light
The next thing that people notice and that contributes to the spacious feel of these homes is the amount of light that they let in. From huge windows to well positioned walls, the ranch home is truly meant to capitalize on the daylight hours. The high ceilings and light colors tend to help this along, opening up the whole home in a welcoming way.
You can really tell that these homes were designed for life in a sunny area. While some will have shutters, most people opt to keep them open, enjoying the daylight in their free time. Pairing light curtains with big windows gives more choice in terms of natural lighting than other housing models.
True Space Separation
Ranch style houses tend to have a very distinct separation between the living and sleeping areas. People enter into the living areas, the bathroom and kitchen are centrally located, and the bedrooms are able to stay an oasis of calm. This is great for families with small children who just want to make sure that they aren’t woken by friends and can have a good nap while their family is active. It’s also great for people who just want their bedroom to be a private space that they can retreat to after a long day.
This also is great in the era of remote working and schooling. Everyone can be in a different area, ensuring that everyone gets a quiet environment to do what they need. Ranch style homes tend to separate the office from the bedrooms as well, giving you a truly pristine environment to work from. Easy access to the kitchen and front door make it easy to go about your day without disturbing the rest of the home.
Ease Of Car Access
Ranch style homes tend to have an attached garage as well. This makes it easy to get in and out of the car, even with children or pets. The real benefit is being able to run out to the car at 3 am for something and not worry about being harmed or what is going on outside the home.
Attached garages are also a great way to gain a little more space and take care of messy projects without having to go outside. Generally the garages on ranch style homes can fit at least 2 cars and will have enough space for a workbench or to store the kids bikes, making them a great choice for active families.
Natural Exteriors
Generally speaking, ranch style means a more natural style that will use stucco, brick, wood, or even stone. This emphasis on natural materials makes them look softer and more welcoming. They are a great contrast between the hustle and bustle of the corporate world and the gentler home life. The natural exteriors are usually locally produced as well, reducing the carbon footprint of the build, making them easy to repair, and generally making them more in tune with nature.
The natural exteriors make it easy to repair these homes as well. While they might need a little maintenance from time to time, natural materials are generally rather easy to switch out and repair. This isn’t always the case with more industrialized materials that may rely on each other for strength or be made with the assumption that a replacement rather than a repair will take place.
Beautiful Interiors
On the inside these homes tend to have huge vaulted ceilings that have exposed beams. These both show the amazing skill of the craftsmen who made the home, but also give more upward space and can be great for decorating. These beams aren’t just cosmetic, although it is possible to add in more beams if the space would benefit from them, but also ensure that the low sloping roof is stable and will stand up to earthquakes and other issues that plague the region.
The kitchens tend to be tiled with natural materials as well. Slate is a common choice as it helps keep the home cool, feels nice underneath the feet, and is generally easy to maintain. The flooring tends to be a darker color than the walls, disguising foot traffic while helping increase the appearance of light to the area.
Generally these homes have an island style counter and try to work the kitchen into the rest of the home, keeping everyone connected rather than separated. The free flow of space within the home also allows the dining area and the living room to be configured in a way that works for the homeowners, not for the people who designed the home.
Finally, hallways between rooms ensure that noise doesn’t flow and that the direction of foot traffic within the house is easy to manage. People who come over will instinctively avoid them as they contrast with the more open areas, preserving your privacy and making it easy to see what areas are off limits.
Energy Efficient Design
One of the least talked about but best features of ranch homes is the low hanging and wide eaves the serve to shade the house from the worst of the weather, keeping the temperature inside comfortable and ensuring access to great lighting without too much heat. This benefit helps residents save on energy bills, but also keeps them comfortable.
In California this couldn’t be more important during record heat waves, rising temperatures, and with the tendency to settle near the desert. Ranch homes end up being very Eco-friendly and sustainable for this reason as well, making them a great choice for anyone wanting to make a difference in the world.
Beautiful Decking
What most people don’t see when they look at a ranch style home is the back porch area. Many times these homes offer a beautiful deck not just for the living areas but also for the master bedroom. The ability to look up at the stars, spend a romantic evening in the garden before heading right into bed, or just to lay in bed and look out on the world is something not to be taken for granted.
While most ranch style homes are a single story, the decking can sometimes be slightly raised or in areas with hills and cliffs, sometimes the decking separates the home from the yard below. This can provide even more separation of space and make the time spent outside feel even more special.
Good Use of Space
Finally, more modern looking homes tend to focus on the footprint of the house, not on the use of the space surrounding the home. This can become a problem when working with larger lots as there is a lot of unused space that doesn’t even make a suitable yard.
Homes that are situated in the middle of narrow lots tend to have a lot of space to the sides and look strange. A ranch style home dominates the front of the area that they are placed within, making it fit well with the surrounding view.
This same domination of the front, even with a large lawn, allows the back to have more and do more than other homes. The sliding glass doors and existing patio systems mean that ranch homes often have pools installed, outside fire pits, greenhouses, and anything else that improves modern family life.
They are meant for entertaining and raising a family, not just for living.
Overall, the ranch style home is one that fits well with the general culture of California, is ecologically friendly, doesn’t take up too much space, ensures everyone feels comfortable, and are very affordable.
They might be one of the more traditional forms of American architecture to pop up in California and the Palm Springs area offers a huge selection of “ranchers” that suit the needs of most families.